2.2. Connection Between Vulnerability and Livelihood

On the other hand, we have external one which we cannot less control, is an exogenous variable. What are they? External variables is considered in this double structure of vulnerability as exposure. So, exposure to what, some shock or some events like it depends on what kind of shocks, is it natural phenomena or some epidemics or not merely a kind of special exposure but how defenseless like I am for that one.

This chunk discusses the idea of external factors that impact a person's vulnerability, known as exogenous variables. These are elements outside an individual's control, such as natural disasters or epidemics. We are exposed to various shocks, and our level of defenselessness against these shocks contributes to our overall vulnerability. Understanding these external variables is key to recognizing how they affect individuals differently based on their circumstances.

Imagine a small village located in a flood-prone area. The village has no control over the weather, which can lead to heavy rains and floods. If an individual lives there with limited resources to rebuild their home, they are particularly vulnerable to such shocks. In contrast, someone living in a well-prepared city might have insurance or better infrastructure to deal with such events.

It also defined the social and institutional structure, features of that one that also bring individuals in a particular exposure of threat and like if I am an outcast, I have less networks, it actually increase my exposure to a hazard, to a threat, to a risk.

This section highlights that vulnerability has a double structure, where both exposure and social/institutional contexts play roles in determining how vulnerable individuals are. For instance, social isolation—like being an outcast—can limit one's networks and resources, increasing exposure to risks and hazards. Recognizing these social dynamics is crucial for understanding vulnerability comprehensively.

Consider a person who has recently moved to a new city and doesn't know anyone. If a storm hits, they might not receive warnings or assistance as effectively as someone with a strong community network. Their lack of social connections increases their vulnerability during such events.

This exposure context from 3 different dimensions. One is human ecological perspective, population dynamics, capacity to manage the environment, population growth, and how human ecology is looking at population growth and the capacity to manage the environment. And also the entitlement theory, the capacity theory and that the people have for control and to get to secure the means of their economic needs. And also the political-economic approach like the question of inequalities or disparities of assets, the power structures.

The exposure context can be understood from three perspectives: 1) the human ecological perspective, which looks at how population and environmental management capacity affects vulnerability; 2) entitlement and capacity theories focus on how people secure economic needs; and 3) the political-economic approach addresses inequalities and power dynamics that contribute to exposure. These perspectives help in analyzing vulnerability from a multifaceted approach.

Take two communities, one with a high population and limited resources and another with a balanced population and abundant resources. The first community may struggle with food security and environmental management, while the second community has better means to manage and sustain livelihoods. This scenario illustrates how the human ecological perspective can influence vulnerability.

To understand people's coping, we can also borrow the ideas from crisis and conflict kind of studies, who have the access to assets and resources and how it matter of conflict between individuals and groups or maybe sometimes action theory approaches, how people act, react frequently as a result of social-economic and governmental constraints and model access to assets like a mitigation of vulnerability through access.

This chunk examines people's coping strategies in vulnerable situations. It draws from crisis studies to understand who has access to resources and how conflicts can arise over these assets. Additionally, action theory is referenced to illustrate how individuals adapt to socioeconomic and governmental constraints, which can help in mitigating vulnerability. Understanding these coping mechanisms is crucial for developing effective responses to vulnerability.

Imagine a community experiencing a drought. Those with resources may stockpile water and food, while those without access might face greater struggles. Conflicts may arise over water sources, leading to tensions. In this scenario, understanding how individuals react to limited resources helps to highlight the dynamics of vulnerability.

There is another more prominent and very popular conceptual idea of vulnerability is the sustainable livelihood framework. It is not really on vulnerability, but they are one of the pioneering approach that define and quoted the vulnerability and which was now very regularly used in disaster risk and other risk management. So, this idea came originally developed by famous person Robert Chambers and Conway in 1992.

The sustainable livelihood framework originated from the work of Robert Chambers and Conway in 1992. Although it does not solely focus on vulnerability, it provides a useful model for understanding how vulnerability operates in the context of livelihoods. This framework emphasizes the importance of people's livelihoods and how they can be affected by various risks and shocks, making it relevant for disaster risk management.

Consider a farmer whose livelihood depends on seasonal crops. If the farmer can adapt their techniques to climate changes and disasters (like planting drought-resistant crops), they are practicing a sustainable livelihood. This framework helps assess how such adaptations can enhance resilience against vulnerabilities.

According to this model, people are actually operating, you know they are working in a context of vulnerability. What is the context of vulnerability? So, vulnerability context is defined with 3 characteristics that people are at vulnerable because shock, trends, and seasonality.

In this model, the 'vulnerability context' is characterized by three main factors: shocks (sudden events like floods), trends (long-term changes like population growth), and seasonality (cyclical changes like employment opportunities in agriculture). These factors contribute to the challenges individuals face in maintaining their livelihoods and coping with risks.

An agricultural worker experiences vulnerability based on these characteristics: a sudden flood (shock) may destroy their crops, changing job opportunities throughout the year (seasonality) affects their income, and ongoing population growth (trend) puts additional pressure on resources and job availability.

What are the shocks? One is the natural shocks like flood, drought, and cyclone. And health shocks like epidemic like cholera or even dengue let us say, or economic shocks like some financial recessions or maybe death in the family for a household or maybe violence like civil war in case of Syria or in many other countries.

Shocks are significant, disruptive events that can affect an individual's ability to sustain their livelihood. They can be categorized into different types: natural shocks (like floods and droughts), health shocks (such as epidemics), economic shocks (like financial crises), and political shocks (like violence and civil unrest). Understanding these shocks is crucial for assessing vulnerability levels in communities.

A farmer facing a drought (natural shock) may struggle to provide for their family, while a financial recession (economic shock) might lead to job losses in a community. These scenarios highlight how each type of shock can influence stability and increase vulnerability in people's lives.

Another one is the seasonality and seasonal shift in price like the price of the crops of the food for the agricultural labor or the productions because of production is low or high, because of climate change maybe the production is not so high this year. Or maybe the food availability or employment opportunity, how many days I have employment opportunity in a particular season.

Seasonality refers to the cyclical nature of certain conditions, often affecting the availability of resources, jobs, and prices. For example, farmers may have better job opportunities during harvest seasons but less during dry months. Trends, such as climate change, can also influence production levels and resource availability over time, affecting individuals' livelihoods and vulnerability.

Think of a seasonal worker in the agriculture sector. During harvest season, they might work full-time, but during off-seasons, their work hours may drastically reduce, impacting their income. This fluctuation adds layers to their vulnerability, illustrating how seasonal changes influence livelihood security.

Now, this vulnerability context actually, this is the poor people and is affecting their household capacity or their own individual capacity. So, they have actually different kind of capitals or capacities. One is human capital, social capital, financial capital and physical capital.

The vulnerability context directly impacts individuals' capacities determined by various forms of capital, which include: human capital (skills and knowledge), social capital (networks and relationships), financial capital (economic resources), and physical capital (infrastructure). Understanding these capacities is crucial for assessing an individual's resilience to vulnerabilities in their context.

For example, someone with strong educational qualifications and a supportive family (human and social capital) may cope better with economic shocks like job loss than someone without those supports. In this way, having diverse types of capital can mitigate the vulnerabilities an individual faces.

So, how one look into these livelihood assets or capitals? Livelihood assets we say that there are 5 capitals; human capital, social capital, physical capital, financial capital, and natural capital.

Livelihood assets can be understood through five key types of capital: human (knowledge and skills), social (networks and relationships), physical (infrastructure and equipment), financial (money and resources), and natural capital (natural resources and environment). Each type of capital plays a vital role in how individuals can sustain their livelihoods and respond to vulnerabilities.

Consider a small business owner. Their human capital includes their skills in running a business, social capital represents their connections with suppliers and customers, physical capital involves their shop and inventory, financial capital is the money they have to invest, and natural capital might encompass the local environment that supports their business. Each aspect is crucial for their overall success and resilience.

And human capital; knowledge and skill like education or good health I am capable person, nutrition I am getting enough food, nutritious food, ability to labor I can work, I can give my labor, capacity to adapt, in any situation, I can adapt culturally.

Human capital encompasses the skills, knowledge, education, and health of individuals. It is about the person's capability to work and adapt to various situations, such as embracing new cultural norms or improving productivity. Adequate nutrition and health also contribute to a person's overall human capital, which is vital for improving livelihood opportunities and resilience.

Think of a student who receives a good education and maintains good health. They will likely have better job prospects compared to someone without those advantages. Their knowledge and skills enable them to adapt to changes in the job market and effectively respond to challenges.

And social capital, of course my network, network works very well, my human networks, connections with each other or membership in a group, formal and informal. Like I can go to some club or maybe in a puja or in so any kind of formal and informal relationship defines my social capital.

Social capital defines the benefits gained from social networks, relationships, and community engagement. This capital helps individuals access resources and support during challenging times. Strong social ties can lead to better cooperation and assistance, thus lowering the vulnerabilities felt during crises.

Consider a person who is actively involved in community groups. During tough times, such as economic downturns, they can rely on their network for job referrals or emotional support. This community connection helps them navigate challenges more effectively compared to someone who lacks such support.

Trust and mutual support, during emergency situations or any situations, we need to cooperate with each other and we need to trust each other because trust minimize the uncertainty so trust and mutual support between individuals in a group is very important and this is one of the social capital.

Trust is a significant aspect of social capital that fosters cooperation and collective action among individuals. In emergencies, mutual support and established trust help minimize uncertainties and enhance the ability of groups to respond to challenges. Strong trust within communities can play a critical role in effectively addressing vulnerabilities.

In a neighborhood struck by a natural disaster, residents who know and trust each other are more likely to share resources and support each other. This collective response reduces individual vulnerabilities, showcasing how mutual trust strengthens community resilience.

Some people whether the people have open access to get all the opportunities to maintain their livelihood or not. In case of very hierarchical societies, the low caste people or low-class people are restricted.

Social and economic hierarchies can restrict certain groups from accessing opportunities, thereby increasing their vulnerability. Systemic issues related to caste, class, or gender may prevent individuals from fully participating in economic and social opportunities, reinforcing their struggles against vulnerability.

In a society where caste systems dictate social standing, individuals from lower castes may find it challenging to access education or employment opportunities. This systemic restriction not only affects their current livelihood but also perpetuates long-term vulnerability for subsequent generations.

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